Members of the Normal West Student Promise Council take delivery of hats and mittens for children in Bloomington/Normal, IL. Pictured Addie Smith (green sweater), Makiah Yamada (black sweater), Zachary Mikel (white hoodie) and Nicholas Gilhaus (blue hoodie).

Bloomington, IL and Minnetonka, MN,

22

February

2019

|

10:19 PM

America/Chicago

The Warmth of Friendship

It’s been said winter friends are forever.

To help children in Bloomington, Illinois, and Minnetonka, Minnesota, stay warm as they play and make winter friends, State Farm donated 10,000 hats and gloves. The company facilitated the donation through local organizations well-versed in helping children.

In Bloomington, State Farm Agent Axel Jimenez worked through the local Promise Council to coordinate the distribution of the winter wear.

The Promise Council serves 13 schools in Bloomington-Normal. The Council’s goal is to remove barriers to learning and give every student the chance to achieve success through education. One of its main pillars of focus is meeting the physical needs of students. These needs can often stand in the way of academic achievement.

“It is our responsibility to take care of the children in our community. I would want help available for my kids if I was not able to provide for them directly,” Jimenez said. “We need to pay it forward!”

Hats & Mittens serves Minnetonka and surrounding communities in the same way. Founder Rebecca Sundquist's team raises money and collects thousands of hats and mittens for homeless children. Their work also increases awareness of smaller and emerging non-profits serving children.

“If a child sees the world as a warm and welcoming place, they can survive and thrive.” Sundquist said. “When they feel physically and emotionally cold, they can get lost in a cycle of despair. At Hats & Mittens, our mission is to warm bodies and hearts - creating a more welcoming world for kids everywhere.”

State Farm agrees. It encourages its employees and agents, like Axel, to participate in its Good Neighbor Grant and Matching Gift Programs.

The company also encourages everyone to turn caring into doing through the Neighborhood of Good. Find and volunteer for the causes that matter to you – right in your neighborhood.